On the liability side of the balance sheet, total average deposits for the first quarter of 2026 were $24.5 million, or 2.0%, higher when compared to the first quarter average of 2025 due to the Company’s successful business development efforts. Additionally, the Company’s core deposit base continues to demonstrate the strength and stability that it has for many years due to customer loyalty and confidence in AmeriServ Financial Bank. The Company does not utilize brokered deposits as a funding source. The loan to deposit ratio averaged 82.7% in the first quarter of 2026, which indicates that the Company has ample capacity to continue to grow its loan portfolio and is well positioned to support our customers and our community during times of economic volatility.
Total interest expense decreased favorably by $417,000, or 5.9%, for the first quarter of 2026 when compared to the same time period of 2025. Deposit interest expense decreased by $205,000, or 3.3%, despite total average interest-bearing deposits growing by $39.2 million, or 3.8%, compared to the first quarter of 2025. The decrease in deposit interest expense reflects management’s effective deposit pricing strategies along with the benefit of the Federal Reserve easing monetary policy during the final four months of 2025. This reduction in interest-bearing deposit costs contributed to the previously mentioned improvement in the net interest margin. Overall, total deposit cost (including the benefit of non-interest-bearing demand deposits) averaged 1.93% for the first quarter of 2026, which is an 11-basis point improvement from the first quarter of 2025.
Total borrowings interest expense decreased by $212,000, or 21.9%, for the first quarter of 2026. The Company’s utilization of overnight borrowed funds during the first quarter of 2026 was lower than it was for the first quarter of 2025, resulting in the first quarter average decreasing by $5.6 million, or 86.7%, due to the higher level of total average deposits. Also, management elected not to replace the majority of maturing Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) term advances during the full year of 2025 and did not replace any during the first quarter of 2026 because of the strength of the Company’s liquidity position. Therefore, the total average balance of advances from the FHLB during the first quarter of 2026 decreased by $12.2 million, or 22.2%, from last year’s first quarter. The decrease in borrowings interest expense also reflects the Federal Reserve’s 2025 action to ease monetary policy by 75-basis points which had an immediate and favorable impact on the cost of overnight borrowed funds.
The Company recorded a $217,000 provision for credit losses in the first quarter of 2026 after recording a $97,000 provision recovery in the first quarter of 2025, resulting in an unfavorable shift of $314,000. The provision for credit losses in the first quarter reflects a $284,000 provision for credit losses on loans resulting from updates to both historical loss rates and qualitative adjustments and an additional $27,000 of provision expense was recognized to create a partial reserve for a senior debt corporate investment within the securities portfolio. Both of these items were partially offset by a $94,000 provision recovery related to unfunded commitments because of a decline in outstanding loan commitments.
Non-performing assets were relatively stable since December 31, 2025, increasing by $204,000, or 2.4%, and totaling $8.7 million. The increase reflects the transfer of a $500,000 senior debt corporate security into non-accrual status that became impaired during the first quarter of 2026. The transfer of this security into non-accrual status more than offset a $296,000 reduction to non-performing loans since year end 2025. Non-performing loans represented 0.78% of total loans at March 31, 2026 and decreased by 2-basis points from December 31, 2025. The Company recognized net loan charge-offs of $206,000, or 0.08% of total average loans, in the first quarter of 2026 compared to net loan charge-offs of $64,000, or 0.02% of total average loans, in the first quarter of 2025. Overall, the Company’s allowance for loan credit losses provided 165% coverage of non-performing loans and represented 1.28% of total loans at March 31, 2026.
Total non-interest income in the first quarter of 2026 decreased by $154,000, or 3.7%, from the prior year's first quarter. Other income is lower by $110,000, or 15.9%, after a net gain was recognized from two separate sales in the first quarter of 2025 of a Bank branch office and an OREO property. There was no such sale activity in the first quarter of 2026. Also, contributing to the unfavorable comparison for total non-interest income was the Company recognizing a $63,000 loss on trading securities from a $7.2 million trading account that did not exist in the first quarter of 2025. Partially offsetting these unfavorable items were increases to service charges on deposit accounts by $27,000, or 9.8%, because of the deposit growth the Company experienced and a $22,000, or 78.6%, increase in mortgage banking revenue due to increased production in 2026. Finally, wealth management fees are relatively consistent with the level achieved in the first quarter of 2025. Overall, the fair market value of wealth management assets totaled $2.6 billion at March 31, 2026 and decreased by $68.0 million, or 2.5%, since December 31, 2025.
Total non-interest expense in the first quarter of 2026 increased by $595,000, or 5.1%, when compared to the first quarter of 2025. Professional fees increased by $480,000, or 70.1%, due to additional expenses related to the amended and restated consulting agreement with SB Value Partners that expands the nature and scope of the consulting services provided to the Company. Details of this revised agreement were provided in the Company’s Report on Form 8-K filed on January 7, 2026. Also contributing to the increase in professional fees were higher costs for recruitment and outside professional services. Other expenses were $108,000, or 9.5%, higher due to the bank having to recognize additional workout expenses related to a loan relationship secured by an owner-occupied CRE property. The additional costs related to this property were the sole reason for the unfavorable quarter over quarter comparison for other expenses. Slightly offsetting the higher level of expense was reduced FDIC deposit insurance expense by $30,000, or 12.5%.
The Company recorded income tax expense of $426,000 in the first quarter of 2026, or an effective tax rate of 19.2%, which compares to income tax expense of $478,000, or an effective tax rate of 20.0%, in the first quarter of 2025.